Parents turn to mum’s trips and tracking apps to watch their teens at Schoolies

Protective parents are ramping up their surveillance of Schoolies, adopting new technologies and even following their teenagers interstate to secure “peace of mind”.

Protective parents are tightening their grip on Schoolies celebrations, using tracking apps or following their teenagers interstate to monitor their movements.

The heightened supervision comes as the wild scenes that once defined Schoolies have largely disappeared from major hotspots.

Police and safety officers maintain a strong presence in the designated ‘zones’ with minimal arrests made each year.

But parental oversight is still on the rise, with tracking app Life360 reporting a 61 per cent surge in users on the Gold Coast during Schoolies last year.

The rite of passage is under increasing parental surveillance. Picture: Richard Gosling

Melbourne mum Valerie, whose daughter Dela is travelling to the Gold Coast for schoolies this year, said it’s not about tracking her daughter but “peace of mind”.

“We completely trust our kids, but with everything you hear about what can go wrong at Schoolies, of course you worry,” she said.

“We know Dela is very level-headed and street-smart, but it’s a big event and she’ll be a long way from home.

“Our biggest concerns are around things like alcohol and wanting her to be aware of her surroundings. We’ve gone over the basics – being sensible with drinks, getting them herself, seeing bottles or cans opened, sticking with her friends, and checking in with us daily so we know she’s safe and having a good time.

“We’ve set Life360 up to send us an alert when she makes it back to her hotel safely, just to give us that added reassurance.”

Protective parents have started booking their own ‘moolies’ trips to be close by in case of an incident. Picture: Brett Hartwig

Recent years have also seen a rise in parents of school leavers crashing the party to celebrate the end of their kid’s exams.

“Everybody is getting away. We need a break and we need a cocktail or two and a session at the hot springs,” one year 12 mother from a private school in Melbourne said.

“Even if they are not going away, all the mums are planning moolies dinners and catch-ups.”

Other mothers are heading to resorts within striking distance of their children partying at schoolies in Byron Bay and on the Gold Coast.

One self-proclaimed ‘moolie’ said she “wants to be close to the kids in case something goes wrong”.

But Carbone Lawyers managing partner Tony Carbone says the most effective way to keep teenagers out of trouble is through clear guidelines, education and peer responsibility.

“They won’t always listen to parents, they need to watch out for each other’s backs, don’t leave people alone, and its important that the so called leaders are responsible.” he said.

“You can’t do much more than educate and advise the kids that having a good time doesn’t mean that you have to take unnecessary risks.

“Policing does help but it can only go so far because you can’t be watching the kids around the clock.”

Legal experts say the biggest risks at Schoolies are untested drugs and assaults. Picture: Tony Gough

While teenagers are hit with endless warnings about drunken antics and arrests, Mr Carbone says the real risks are to school leavers themselves.

“With Schoolies the reality is there’s a risk of getting injured or assaulted, or in the worst case, death,” he said.

“Sexual assaults go unreported because kids are too scared for the school to find out, or for parents to find out. These kids are scared damaged for life.

“Things that may look consensual are often not consensual because they’re under the influence l because they’re under the influence of an assortment of alcohol and drugs and the consequences that flow last forever.

“I’ve had people come to me saying they woke up drowsy the next day and that’s how they knew they’d had their drink spiked.

“But the biggest problem is drugs, the combination of unknown drugs mixed with alcohol in particular, without meaning to sound alarmist, are extremely dangerous and in some instances fatal.”

The Victorian Department of Health confirmed mobile pill testing services will not be available at Victorian Schoolies events, but drugs could be tested ahead of time.

“Anyone attending schoolies or a festival this summer can access the Victorian Pill Testing Service at 95 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy,” a Victorian Department of Health spokesman said.

“This free, walk-in service allows people to check the contents of drugs and receive tailored, evidence-based advice to help them make safer, more informed decisions.”

Originally published as Parents turn to mum’s trips and tracking apps to watch their teens at Schoolies